Moni Profiti Ilia, Orthodox monastery in Pyrgos Kallistis, Greece
Moni Profiti Ilia is a male Orthodox monastery founded in 1711 by the hieromonk brothers Gabriel and Joachim Belonias on Mount Profitis Ilias, at 567 metres, three kilometres from Pyrgos Kallistis. Its low stone buildings with white walls, narrow passages and courtyards are arranged around the katholikon, and the monastery holds the mitre of Patriarch Gregory V.
The monastery was founded in 1711 and developed into a center of Greek Orthodox faith on the island. Over the centuries it served as a spiritual refuge, documenting Santorini's religious history to this day.
The monastery bears the name of Prophet Elias, venerated in Orthodox tradition. Visitors sense a deep connection to faith here, reflected in daily rituals and the careful arrangement of spaces.
The monastery stands at 567 m on Mount Aios-Ilias, about 3 km from Pyrgos Kallistis. Women may enter only the katholikon and the archontariki; the rest of the complex remains closed to them. A large cross stands on a rise 500 m away, where the abbot traditionally met candidates for monastic life.
About 500 metres from the monastery, a large cross stands on a rise; by tradition this is where the abbot met candidates for monastic life and questioned them about their reasons. The monastery also keeps the mitre of Patriarch Gregory V.
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